Broken
by DreamersMyth27
Summary: Zuko is a prince. And like every prince, he knows himself. He knows his deepest desires and his darkest secrets. He knows what he wants and what he needs. And Zuko needs to regain his honor.
1. Chapter 1

**So, this is my first attempt at an Avatar fic. If it's popular enough, I might continue. Let's say, 20 reviews. I don't really have time to do any more unless this is _that_ popular. Other than that, enjoy!**

* * *

Zuko is a prince. And like every prince, he knows himself. He knows his deepest desires and his darkest secrets. He knows what he wants and what he needs. And Zuko needs to regain his honor.

That's his mission. His focus. Every waking and most sleeping moments are spent trying to find the Avatar. But in the three years since Zuko's begun his search, he hasn't seen any clue as to the Avatar's whereabouts. He's starting to lose hope.

Zuko doesn't know that the Avatar, the Airbender everyone's looking for, dies in a storm one-hundred years ago. He doesn't know that the moment Aang dies, a little girl named Hama is born. He doesn't know that Hama learns to Waterbend and fights off the Fire Nation until she's taken. He certainly doesn't know that Hama dies after a failed escape attempt at the age of thirty, never knowing she's the Avatar.

When Hama dies, a child is born in Ba Sing Se. Zuko doesn't know the child is named Ming. He doesn't know Ming lives a happy life, for there is no war in Ba Sing Se, and learns to Earthbend recreationally. He doesn't know Ming dies at the age of fifty-three after a sickness takes him.

And he doesn't know that the moment Ming takes a last breath, a child in the Fire Nation takes their first. This is where Zuko's story begins.

* * *

In another world, perhaps Zuko might have seen a beam of light shoot up from the ice fields in the South Pole. As it is, in this world he sees nothing and retires to his room early, bidding his uncle good-night and ordering the crew to stay put for few days, just in case.

Zuko falls asleep quickly. He's trained himself to. It won't do for him to not be able to, especially since sleep is a luxury with his uncle's snoring. He needs to take it where he can get it.

When Zuko wakes up, he's no longer in his cramped room, but instead in the middle of a beautiful grove, surrounded by a tall temple. For a moment, Zuko thinks he's alone in this dream.

"Hello," a soft voice says.

Zuko whirls around, standing up and settling into an offensive stance easily. He's prepared to throw fire at this stranger, dream or not.

The stranger is a child. He's not expecting that. Zuko relaxes his stance. His eyes slide over the boy, drinking in every detail. The boy can't be more than thirteen. He's bald with a large blue arrow tattoo covering his head.

"Who are you?" Zuko asks warily. Somehow, he knows this isn't simply a dream. Something has changed. It's a sudden change, but a change he notices. The boys he's seeing is real or was real.

"I'm Aang," the boy says.. "And I'm the Avatar. Or I was, at least." The boy's head is hanging, but his whole visage says he's hurt. And resigned. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Zuko asks heatedly. "Where are you? What do you mean?"

"I died, Zuko," Aang says, looking up at him with big, sad eyes. "One-hundred years ago."

"But that means that I've been looking for you when I should be looking for someone from the Water Tribes or the Earth Kingdom!" Zuko exclaims. "This whole time!"

"You're right," Aang says. "There were others after me. A Waterbender named Hama. She never knew she was the Avatar. She died when she was thirty. Then an Earthbender named Ming. Ming never even knew about the war or that he was the Avatar. Ming died at the age of fifty-three."

Aang looks sadder now, more than ever. Zuko has a strange feeling building in his gut.

"They never found out, so now it's my job to make sure the next Avatar knows so they can end this war," Aang says.

Suddenly Aang's eyes harden and he looks determined. It's a far cry from the scared, sad boy he was a moment before. Everything goes cold in Zuko's mind. Because suddenly it makes sense. What Aang is trying to say. Why ever since Zuko turned sixteen he's felt strange and broken.

"Zuko," Aang says seriously. "You're the Avatar."


	2. Chapter 2

**So, I got 20 comments on another site and I'd promised to continue if I did, so here's another chapter. Just like before, 20 comments on any of the sites I post and another chapter will appear. :)**

* * *

When Zuko wakes up he tries to convince himself that it's just a dream he had. There's no way it's real. He isn't the Avatar. He can't be. All the time at the South Pole is just getting to him. It's too cold, that's all.

Then, when he's alone on deck at midnight, when Iroh's asleep and all the others are too, he notices it. The wind has changed direction, it's blowing north now, which isn't normal, not here. Usually, it goes in a lazy eastern direction.

Somehow, he knows this wind isn't natural. In fact, it feels like the ocean, the very spirits, are angry at him and all of his crew. That's the last thing he thinks before water comes out of nowhere and dunks the ship.

* * *

When Zuko comes to he doesn't open his eyes. His whole body hurts. His ribs, his legs, his arms, his head, his eyes. It even feels like his hair hurts. But wherever he is is warm and he's happy. Ish. As happy as he can be being half asleep and hurt pretty bad.

He feels someone's palm on his face, warm and soft. He sighs and goes back to sleep.

* * *

The next time Zuko wakes up he does open his eyes. This time he's alone. It's still warm, but now that he's in a more natural state of mind, he realizes just where he is. A large fur tent with a fire pit in the center. He's in loose blue robes, a far cry from the silky green Earth Nation clothes he'd been meditating in.

Wait…

Uncle! Was his uncle alright? Did these Water Tribers even know who he was when they saved him? Is his uncle a prisoner of war?

Suddenly the front of the tent rustles and a girl appears, not much younger than him. Probably around Azula's age.

"Oh, you're awake. How are you feeling?"

Zuko binks at her before he regains his senses and scowls. His leg still hurts, it's probably broken, and attacking her wouldn't be the best decision.

"Where's my uncle?" he growls instead.

The girl blinks again.

"You were the only one my brother and I saw."

And that breaks Zuko. He bends down and his shoulders begin to shake in silent sobs.

"Get out," he tries to snap at the girl. For a moment, he thinks she listens.

"It's okay," she whispers, wrapping her arms around him tightly. "I know what it's like to lose someone too. I'm Katara. You don't need to tell me your name, okay? But I'm here for you."

* * *

Zuko doesn't really talk to anyone while he heals. He also only ever sees Katara. He wonders if she's the only one for a while until one morning he hears the bustle of people going about their days.

"Did the Fire Nation give you that scar?" she asks one day, a few weeks after Zuko's breakdown.

He narrows his good eye at her. He's not about to give himself away as Fire Nation and say it was his father. And he's not about to talk about it either. Not when his scar is the reason he's here.

"You don't need to tell me. I was just wondering because your eyes are gold. Usually, they don't do that to their own people. Especially not as young as it must have been done to you."

"W-what?" he chokes.

Katara looks at him.

"I'm not an idiot," she snorts. "Your eyes are gold and no normal person could have survived the water, not without being able to warm themselves up."

"Why are you helping me?"

"Because I don't think being Fire Nation has to mean you're a bad guy," she tells him gently. "Because I think you're a lot better than you think you are."

"I could burn you. I could burn this whole village down right now." She needs to understand he's dangerous. He's a monster.

"I could drown everyone," she counters. "You haven't hurt us yet. I knew you wouldn't."

"How could you _know_ that?" he scoffs.

"I just do. There was a spirit, a little boy. He told me to save you. I think he said his name was Aang"


End file.
